Springs Mystery Art Sale Returns June 7-8

After a few years off, the Springs Mystery Art Sale is returning to Ashawagh Hall next weekend, June 7 and 8, and with it comes some 900 individual pieces of art for sale. The best part? Each 5 x 7-inch artwork costs $20 and could be made by a student or a well-known local artist whose paintings sell for thousands — and buyers won’t know which until the closing party on Saturday night!

“There was a group of parents who used to run this event every year and it obviously stopped because of COVID for a little while, and now I have decided to bring it back,” explains Casey Dalene, the show’s benefit chair and a member of the Springs School Parent Teacher Association, pointing out that she has a background working at galleries and museums, as well as with individual artists. “I’m a curator and art advisor so it’s kind of up my alley … we’ve been talking about doing this for a few years, just trying to find who would do it or whatnot,” she continues, adding, “I’m very excited to bring it back this year.”

As in the past, since the wildly successful and popular first Springs Mystery Art Sale in 2014, they’ve had all the students at Springs School work with their art teachers to produce postcard-size works of art, making a total of about 700 pieces in the show by kids at the pre-K through eighth grade school.

“Then I’ve also reached out to artists of the area to produce,” Dalene says, noting that not all pieces are in but she expects around 150-200 artworks by “more professional adult artists” for the show.

Among those participating are well-known names such as world-famous painter April Gornik, Hiroyuki Hamada, Scott Bluedorn, Dan Welden, Montauk photographer James Katsipis, Elizabeth Karsch, Beth Barry, Alison Seiffer and printmaker Kym Fulmer, plus Springs School art teacher Laura Merino, to name a few.

At the same time, accomplished artists have donated about 20 full-size pieces that will bear their names from the start and be given to the highest bidder in a silent auction.

Each piece in the main sale will be $20, and Dalene points out that all proceeds will go to benefit art education at Springs School. “I’m working with the art teachers to decide what exactly that’s going to look like, but we have a lot of ideas. They do some art-related field trips they need funding for. I know that they are interested in acquiring a kiln at some point, so I’d love to help with that,” she says, noting that the need in Springs is great despite the recent growth of their PTA.

“Springs School is amazing. … Unfortunately, we don’t have a big business district in Springs and it’s just underfunded compared to our neighboring districts, and we have a lot of kids,” Dalene, who has a son in third grade and a daughter in fifth grade, says. “We do pre-K through eighth. It’s a big school. We accomplish a lot for very little and I know there’s great need, so our PTA is really trying to expand our fundraising opportunities. I offered to bring back the sale because it’s already so popular, it already has such a great following — I knew people would recognize the question marks as they went up around town.”

The Springs Mystery Art Sale will be open to the public starting Friday, June 7 from 5–8 p.m. and continuing Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ashawagh Hall (780 Springs Fireplace Road). A closing party begins with a non-alcoholic “thank you toast to the artists” at 5 p.m. on Saturday and continues with all names revealed through 8 p.m. Artwork may be picked up from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, June 9.

Springs School students will visit the show from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, June 7, before the public gets to attend.

“I’m sure people are going to want to be first in line to get in there,” Dalene predicts for opening night, knowing that getting first pick is a luxury in a sale like this.

Artists interested in participating in the Springs Mystery Art Sale can email springsmysteryartsale@gmail.com.